The Sharpening Dude — Annandale, VA

Hockey Skate
Sharpening

Your edge isn't a preference. It's performance. Let's find yours.

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Most Sharpenings
2–3 Days
Mail-In Turnaround
Where Every Edge Starts
"Most players skate on the wrong edge their entire career. Not because nobody told them — because nobody knew to ask."

At TSD, sharpening starts with a conversation. What do you play? How do you skate? What does your current edge feel like — and what would you change? The result is an edge built for how you play, not whatever the last shop defaulted to.

Understanding Your Edge

Two Geometries. One Right Answer for You.

What the numbers actually mean — and why most players have never been asked.

ROH — Radius of Hollow

The standard you already know

CURVED HOLLOW · TWO EDGES
  • Smaller number (3/8") — deeper cut: more bite, more grip, more push resistance
  • Larger number (5/8") — shallower cut: faster glide, less drag
  • The problem: most players ride the shop default — nobody ever asked if it was right
The Edge Most Shops Can't Cut

FBV — Flat Bottom V

Edge in the turns, glide of a wider hollow

FLAT BOTTOM · DEFINED EDGES
  • The best of both: bite in the turns while keeping the glide of a wider hollow
  • A very fine-tuned balance — quality results demand a highly skilled operator and a machine built for it
  • If FBV "didn't feel right" somewhere else, the operator or machine was almost certainly why

The Straight Talk on FBV

FBV gets mixed reviews around the game — and there's a real reason. Those defined edges are more vulnerable than a rounded hollow: when FBV edges take damage, they don't dull gradually — they chip, taking chunks out of the blade. And the geometry is a fine-tuned balance that punishes sloppy work. Cut well, on the right machine, by someone who knows it, FBV is outstanding. Cut poorly, it's worse than a good ROH. That's not a sales pitch either way — it's just what's true, and it's why we'll tell you honestly whether FBV fits how and where you play.

Official Blackstone FBV to ROH conversion chart

Official Blackstone FBV to ROH Chart

FBV Cuts vs. ROH — Rough Equivalents

If you know your ROH, this is roughly where each FBV cut lands in feel. "Roughly" matters — FBV bites like the smaller number but glides like a wider one. That's the whole point.

FBV 100/75
≈
3/8" ROH
Most bite
FBV 100/50
≈
1/2" ROH
More bite
FBV 90/1
≈
5/8" ROH
Shop standard zone
FBV 90/75
≈
3/4" ROH
More glide
FBV 95/50
≈
7/8" ROH
Max glide
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Interactive — Try It

What Hollow Is Right for You?

There's no single correct answer — it depends on your weight, style, position, and ice. Tap what sounds like you and see where you land on the bite-to-glide spectrum.

◂ More Bite (deeper hollow)More Glide (wider — our lean) ▸
5/8"
TSD Shop StandardWe do things a bit different at TSD. We recommend 5/8" for most folks for a simple reason: our cuts are better, and better cuts mean more trust in your edges. You'll be able to do a lot more on a TSD sharpening than you think.
Book a Hollow Consultation

These are starting points, not prescriptions. Not sure where you land? Book a hollow consultation — or just try the TSD Standard and feel the difference on your first shift back.

The Blackstone Sports Stealth sharpening machine at TSD

The Blackstone Sports Stealth — TSD's primary sharpening machine

The Bench

The Machine Matters

The Blackstone Sports Stealth is a triple-head precision sharpener — the same class of equipment used in NHL locker rooms. It dresses automatically and holds tolerances single-head manual machines can't match.

When your edge is consistent from heel to toe, your skating is consistent. It's not a small thing.

Triple-Head Precision NHL Locker Room Class Heel-to-Toe Consistency True FBV Capable
Know Your Edge

Different Players. Different Edges.

Heavier Players

Body weight drives the edge deeper into the ice on its own.

Go wider — cut the drag

Agility Skaters

Tight turns, hard stops, and explosive direction changes need grip.

More bite — sharper cuts

Ice Conditions

Soft ice grabs; hard ice repels. Where you skate most matters.

Soft = wider · Hard = bite

Goalies

Lateral push and T-push mechanics demand a different edge entirely.

A separate conversation
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New Skates? The First Sharpening Sets the Foundation.

Factory blades arrive flat — no hollow, not ready to skate. The first cut establishes the geometry your blade wears into through every sharpening after it. Getting it wrong on new steel means starting from behind. Breaking in new skates? Bring them here first.

Book a First Sharpening — $25
Straightforward Pricing

Sharpening Services

Standard Sharpening (ROH)$15
Goalie Skate Sharpening$18
Custom ROH Sharpeningincludes hollow consultation$25
FBV Hockey Sharpening$25
FBV Goalie Sharpening$30
New Skate / New Bladefirst sharpening — sets the foundation$25
Mail-In Sharpening$15
Cross Grind (Blade Reset)add-on$5
Get Your Edge

Ready to Skate Sharp?

Book online or ship your skates directly to TSD. Most sharpenings are same-day. Mail-in turns around in 2–3 business days.

Book Appointment Mail-In Service